Despite the tremendous national need for successful utilization of solar energy, there is to my knowledge no commercially feasible system in use for collecting and utilizing solar energy to significant commercial or municipal advantage. The prior art shows numerous solar collection systems which employ one or more large reflector units generally extending in a parabolic shape. In some instances these reflector units are swung or gyrated through predetermined paths in an attempt to "track" the sun during some span of its daily trajectory. Such reflector assemblies or units are related with boilers or generators upon which, in operation, at least some proportion of reflected solar rays impinge. The boilers in such prior art, to my knowledge, are supported by or connected with the parabolic reflector or its mounting to constantly maintain a predetermined focal relationship. Such combination, while making use of some percentage of the total reflected area, fails to bring about even a near optimum relation of reflector unit, boiler and moving apparatus and in few, if any, cases may the solar rays throughout the full trajectory of the sum be utilized. The position and movable nature of the boiler or generator is one of the great causes of failure of such systems.
Other prior art utilizes a multiplicity of individual (usually flat) mirrors or reflectors mounted on a turntable or track for orbital movement thereon. In such prior art the individual mirrors usually require individual tilting or gyrating operation constantly throughout the operation of the system and during the orbital travel of the group reflectors. Such complex requirements require expensive installation, repair and operation and, as shown in the prior art, are used with boilers or generators which also require movement or position change during the operation of the system.
The requirement by the prior art of generators or boilers which move or change position during operation of the system entails almost always flexible or movable connections between the output hot fluids from the boiler and the transfer medium or storage medium to which the hot fluids are connected. Problems of leakage, weather damage and added space requirement for such apparatus of the prior art has, to my knowledge, made such solar systems impractical and commercially inoperable.
It is the main object of my invention to create and provide a solar ray collection system which requires a minimum amount of space for its installation and operation, as contrasted with the prior art; which permits the most concentrated and compact effective use of the essential components including tiltable parabolic reflector, reflector mounting traveling through orbital path and absorptive burner or boiler. With my improved system as contrasted with the prior art, the heretofore unknown high efficiency of collection of solar rays and transmittal of heat is obtained throughout the full trajectory of the sun from sunrise to sunset and regardless of variations in seasonal trajectories of the sun or geographical location of the system.
My novel system, through new compact relation of essential components and high efficiency of solar collection, is particularly adapted for operation in tandem with conventional power plants which would furnish steam for the turbine operating electrical generators.
The prior art, while usable expensively for partial home or swimming pool heating requirements, is unsuitable even in favorable desert locations of a system for providing power plants which would generate even 200 megawatt capacity with requipment closely placed in 28 square miles of territory.
An object of my invention is the creation and provision of solar ray collection systems which would permit location of at least thirty units per acre and which, in a territory of one square mile would develop, with conventional turbine generator plants, systems with a capacity exceeding 400 megawatts per square mile.